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Donald Trump: Tea Partier?

Trump is allied with the tea party movement in favoring repeal of the health care law and opposing tax hikes. But while exploring a 2000 Reform Party presidential bid, part-time Palm Beacher Trump supported universal health care and a one-time 14.25 percent â€œwealth taxâ€ on individuals and estates with a net worth of more than $10 million.

But that was more than a decade ago.

More recently, Trump has given campaign contributions to some high-profile tea party foes.

Trump gave $2,400 in 2009 to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who hung onto his seat in November against tea party favorite Sharron Angle.

Trump has also given $8,900 over the years to House and Senate campaigns of Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who was recently overheard coaching fellow Dems to brand GOP budget cuts â€œextremeâ€ to try to drive a wedge between House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and the tea party movement.

Trump also gave $4,800 to former Florida Gov. Charlie Cristâ€˜s 2010 Senate campaign. Trump contributed in October 2009, when Crist was still a Republican trying to fend off a tea party-boosted primary challenge from eventual winner Marco Rubio.

I’ve heard people say, “He’s a businessman… many businessmen give money to both parties like Trump does.” To a degree that’s true, but those with true political conviction don’t always feel the need to do that — George Soros for example.

Donald Trump says he’s a conservative, but does anybody know an actual conservative who could have donated campaign funds to Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid without stabbing the pen into their jugular and ending it all just after signing the checks? Simply put, I won’t vote for somebody who was capable, for whatever reason, of giving money to Ted Kennedy and Anthony Weiner. I’m having enough trouble getting past Newt Gingrich doing a global warming PSA with Nancy Pelosi (I still haven’t forgiven him) — so I’m not likely to forgive a “conservative” who helped get Dick Durbin re-elected.

Trump might be some sort of Republican in an Olympia Snowe kind of way — but he’s definitely not a conservative. I think Mark Levin hit it closest to the mark though when he called Trump an opportunist.

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About Doug Powers

Doug Powers is a writer, editor and commentator covering news of the day from a conservative viewpoint with an occasional shot of irreverence and a blast of snark.
Townhall Media editor. MichelleMalkin.com alum. Bowling novice.